


Warm Up

by opalmatrix



Category: Mugen no Juunin | Blade of the Immortal
Genre: Cold Weather, Established Relationship, F/M, Hair Brushing, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 10:14:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3116342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opalmatrix/pseuds/opalmatrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's cold and rainy outside, but warm within.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Warm Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inkstone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkstone/gifts).



> For inkstone, who ships them too. No beta!

From his waiting place between two stalls of the market, Giichi could see Hyakurin talking to their contact. The cold wind blew the fine mizzle across his lenses, so that was all he could see. He breathed slowly to curb his impatience. In her black wig and ordinary garments, Hyakurin's appearance was unremarkable, so it made sense for her to take the public role. Her pregnancy had not slowed her down in the least, now that the morning nausea had passed, but her arm was still not strong, and Giichi resented the necessity of sending her out on her own.

She laughed, hiding her mouth coyly behind one hand. The contact straightened his back, growing more confident at the female attention. He passed her a small packet, and in return she handed him a string of cash. After a moment's chat, he strode off. Hyakurin tucked the packet into the sleeve of her modest outer kimono and wandered aimlessly along the market stalls nearest her. She purchased some pears, neatly wrapping them with a furoshiki she took from her sleeve, showing any onlooker that the packet she had placed there was of no consequence. The wind was blowing more strongly now, and the mizzle was becoming actual rain. Hyakurin adjusted her large hat and started across the market to the eastbound road.

Giichi circled back and met her as she left the marketplace. "Good shopping?"

"The tonic powder, as promised. And some pears."

"Hope you didn't pay too much for 'em."

She smiled gently, dutiful wife to thrifty husband. They stepped out along the road, hurrying only as much as any hardworking common folk would to avoid spending more time in the rain than they had to. Still, they were soaked by the time they turned off onto the unmarked path that led to their current home.

Giichi circled the house under the pretense of making sure that that shed was properly closed against the weather. Hyakurin disappeared inside, and when he came after her, shutting the door, the fire in the central pit was beginning to flame back to life, promising hot tea when the hanging iron kettle boiled. He shed his wet clothing, stripping down to his fundoshi, and grabbed a dry cloth to wipe his lenses, blinking as he replaced them. It was a relief to be able to see clearly again.

Hyakurin was peeling off the layers of wet clothing that made up her disguise as a respectable woman. She glanced at him from the corners of her eyes and smiled. Her wig was already off, steaming on a block of wood near the fire pit to keep its shape, and her bleached hair was sticking to her pale shoulders, her neck, her face. The wet cloth came away form her skin slowly, temptingly. He felt warm all over, especially in his groin.

She stopped, and her eyes widened suddenly as they met his. "You —"

He was still, breathing deeply, and then the heat went to his face. "You were — "

She dropped her eyes. "I'm just cold, and tired."

She was moving slowly, because she was tired. _Giiichi, you're an idiot._ "I'm sorry. I made a mistake," he said.

"Hnnnh," she said, and the sound was full of weariness and annoyance and amusement, all at once. She finished undressing and wrapped herself in a worn yukata, then reached for a cloth to dry her hair. On the far side of the firepit, away from her, he toweled himself dry and then set up the teapot, filling it with hot water once the kettle boiled.

Hyakurin pulled out her comb and started to work out the tangles in her damp hair. He brought her a steaming cup of tea and turned away again, but she put her hand upon his ankle. "Can you help me with this? My arm hurts."

He sank down behind her on the mat and took the comb. Gently he picked at the snarls in her pale hair, stroking the comb through without force, so as not to cause her further pain. The tension eased from her neck and back, and she picked up the cup and sipped the hot tea. At last her hair was spread smoothly across her shoulders, a shining fall of light in the dim room.

"There," he said and laid the comb aside.

"Yes," she said, and her voice was low and rough. "But I'm still cold. Warm me up, Giichi?"

It was easy to find the heat he'd had before. "Gladly," he said.


End file.
